Jamaica Observer cartoonist Clovis, in the Monday, August 11, 2025 edition, caught our attention with his factual representation of Petrojam’s production of bitumen for asphalt being on the “up”, following our recent announcement that the refinery had increased asphalt production to a projected 230,000 barrels annually, up from 84,000. This, from our US$2-million ($320-million) investment in plant optimisation to boost production of bitumen from heavy fuel oil (HFO) for both local consumption and export.

Reaching this significant milestone further positions Petrojam as a multi-energy innovator focused on meeting Jamaica’s energy and infrastructure needs while we diversify and grow our product mix to meet regional requirements and increasingly stringent environmental standards.

In his inimitable, whimsical style, Clovis sought to make the link between Petrojam’s increased bitumen production and the state of some of our roads that need improvement. While it is well known that Petrojam does not have a mandate to build or repair roads, we have a proud heritage of providing products of the highest quality that have helped to maintain our nation’s roadways.

Fuelled by Local Innovation

For us at Petrojam, Clovis’ cartoon offers a splendid opportunity to demonstrate the power of local oil and gas innovation and expertise in bringing our HFO-to-asphalt project to life. The project was conceptualised and designed by Petrojam’s in-house cross-functional teams and managed by internal resources. It demonstrates our company’s improving capacity to deliver innovative and complex projects without the need for overseas consultants.

The collective experience of our project team totals over 400 years — many having developed unique capabilities from working on projects in different areas of our refinery, often involving unique challenges and complexities. This expertise covers project management, technical skills, financial planning acumen, supply chain management, and, importantly, health, safety and environment risk mitigation.

Besides playing a crucial role in honing and developing the skills of our cross-functional team members, the project facilitated the transfer of knowledge that will eventually lead to fresh innovation and improved efficiency within our operations.

Team-building and a highly motivated staff complement are among the other important upshots of this initiative. Strengthening bonds, building trust, cultivating a spirit of collaboration, and enhancing communication are essential in high-pressure environments. These traits are especially important when it comes to troubleshooting, problem-solving, and ensuring that we keep safety at the heart of everything that we do.

Our talented team of professionals at Petrojam are some of the most highly skilled and sought after in the global oil and gas industry, and I applaud them every day as they continue to position our company as a multi-energy innovator. They extol the values we hold dear: excellence, customer focus, integrity, and teamwork, with a focus on health, safety, and the environment.

Investing in our Environment and Sustainability

Wary of the imperative to reduce our carbon footprint, our HFO-to-asphalt project prioritised sequestering carbon from fuel oil to reduce emissions and maximise the value we can extract from every barrel of crude oil. To this end, we have invested in optimising our vacuum distillation unit that supports efficient and eco-friendly processing of bitumen from heavy fuel oil. The sequestering of carbon is a key component of our environment, social, and governance (ESG) framework that supports Jamaica with reaching its sustainable development goals (SDGs).

As an oil refiner, the value of bitumen is a function of alternative uses of the bitumen molecules. We extract bitumen from heavy portions of crude oil. Of note, with the structural decline in demand for heavy fuel oil as an energy source, Petrojam has shifted to manufacturing even more bitumen and has invested in fit-for-purpose production hardware to be able to do so.

Over the years, and more so today, Petrojam produces top-grade bitumen that supports major road infrastructure, including the SPARK and REACH programmes, in addition to everyday roadworks by private developers who are busy participating in Jamaica’s current wave of economic growth and development. Petrojam was also the trusted supplier of penetration-grade bitumen for various highway projects, and the purveyor of performance-grade bitumen for airport runway and apron expansions at the country’s two major international airports.

The Way Forward

The tripling of our HFO-to-asphalt production capacity will undoubtedly add to our annual export revenues, which have topped US$500 million ($80 billion). As one of Jamaica’s major foreign exchange earners from exports, Petrojam is ideally positioned to leverage our increased bitumen production to move into new markets across the Caribbean. It would therefore be fitting to see how Clovis would caricature the first export batch as it sails from our newly expanded production capacity. This would be a defining moment for all of us who toiled to make the project a success, and for every Jamaican who believes in the power of local innovation and the productive capacity of our national assets.

Tremendous opportunities beckon with the introduction of our hybrid plan to infuse waste plastic and rubber into asphalt to promote road stability and integrity in the near future. Leveraging the complementary properties of both materials reduces the probability of cracks and potholes, in addition to dampening road noise from vehicles.

As we look towards the much-needed modernisation of our refinery, Petrojam stands proud as a shining example of resilience and steadfast energy security in a changing world. For decades, Jamaicans have moved with the assurance that Petrojam possesses the wherewithal to fuel their passions and projects. Our team of engineers, technicians, analysts, and researchers understand the energy transition and are busy building a resilient strategy as we prepare for tomorrow.

We pledge to shape this bright energy future for Jamaica, even in ways that cartoonist Clovis can draw and share our deep purpose and passion for fuelling our country’s energy and infrastructure needs.

Telroy Morgan is general manager of Petrojam Limited.

Telroy Morgan